Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds a new mini iPod at Macworld January 6, 2004 in San Francisco.Justin Sullivan
Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple and one of the most influential entrepreneurs in modern history, has died at the age of 56.
Apple confirmed Mr. Jobs' death in a brief note late Wednesday evening.
"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being," the company said. "Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
"His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."
Mr. Jobs, who co-founded Apple in 1976, had faced several chronic health problems over the past few years, including a rare but treatable form of pancreatic cancer. In 2009, Mr. Jobs underwent a liver transplant.
In recent months, Mr. Jobs appeared emaciated at some of Apple's public events, leading to speculation that his health had once again taken a turn for the worse. In January of this year, he took a medical leave of absence from the company, and in late August, resigned from the position of CEO. Mr. Jobs became Apple's chairman and handed the CEO job over to his hand-picked successor, Tim Cook.
Mr. Jobs's family issued this statement Wednesday in response to his death:
"Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.
"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.
"We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."
In the technology as well as the wider business world, Mr. Jobs leaves behind a legacy that borders on the mythological. After being ousted from Apple in the late 1980s, Mr. Jobs founded another tech company, NeXT Computer. Apple purchased NeXT in 1996, paving the way for its co-founder's return. Mr. Jobs became full-time CEO of Apple once more in 2000, and over the next decade would spearhead the computer company's aggressive move into mobile consumer electronics. That push began with the introduction of the iPod Mp3-player, and over the years came to include Apple's hyper-popular iPhone, iPad and iTunes store.
It's difficult to overstate Apple's success under Mr. Jobs' oversight over the past 10 years. iTunes fundamentally changed the default business model for many movie studios and record companies, and in the process turned Apple into the world's biggest record store. The iPhone became the most sought-after smart phone on the planet, snagging a lion's share of a market that previously included only business users, and in which Research In Motion was the sole player. The iPad tablet turned a once-abandoned product concept into one of the fastest-growing industries on Earth.
For his efforts, Mr. Jobs has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of Technology, which President Ronald Reagan presented to him in 1984. In 2009, Fortune Magazine named him CEO of the decade. Despite earning no salary from Apple for several years, Mr. Jobs' stakes in the company, as well as significant ownership of shares in corporations such as Disney, made him a billionaire many times over. His name is listed on more than 300 patents.
The announcement of Mr. Jobs' death comes just one day after Apple unveiled the latest version of the iPhone, a product the company's co-founder turned from a blueprint into one of the best-selling pieces of consumer electronics in history.
The news triggered an immediate outpouring of sympathy. Among others, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he will miss Jobs "immensely".
APPLE, NEXT, IPHONE
A college dropout, Buddhist and son of adoptive parents, Mr. Jobs started Apple Computer with friend Steve Wozniak in the late 1970s. The company soon introduced the Apple 1 computer.
But it was the Apple II that became a huge success and gave Apple its position as a critical player in the then-nascent PC industry, culminating in a 1980 IPO that made Jobs a multimillionaire.
Despite the subsequent success of the Mac, Mr. Jobs' relationship with top management and the board soured. The company removed most of his powers and then in 1985 he was fired.
Apple's fortunes waned after that. However, its purchase of NeXT -- the computer company Jobs founded after leaving Apple -- in 1997 brought him back into the fold. Later that year, he became interim CEO and in 2000, the company dropped "interim" from his title.
Along the way Mr. Jobs also had managed to revolutionize computer animation with his other company, Pixar, but it was the iPhone in 2007 that capped his legacy in the annals of modern technology history.
Two years before the gadget that forever transformed the way people around the world access and use the Internet, Mr. Jobs talked about how a sense of his mortality was a major driver behind that vision.
"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life," Mr. Jobs said during a Stanford commencement ceremony in 2005.
"Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure -- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."
"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."
with files from Reuters